In the past both horse race tracks and dog race tracks have been in common use and usually a grandstand is located adjacent to the track for the convenience of customers. The grandstand ordinarily includes wagering booths, restaurants, and other facilities which are in use for only a few hours of a day and for a limited number of days of the year depending upon the length of the meet as governed by the racing commission of the state or other political subdivision.
In order to increase the use of the facilities, as well as to provide diversity for the racing enthusiasts, in some areas horse race tracks have been combined with dog race tracks so that dog races may be held during the period when the horses are not racing. Additionally, in some instances, a horse racing meet may be held simultaneously with a dog racing meet by holding the horse racing program in the afternoon and the dog racing program at night.
Normally a dog race track is substantially smaller than a horse race track so that the dog race track may be located within the oval of the horse race track. However, it is desirable to locate portions of both the horse track and the dog track (particularly the finish line) as close to the grandstand as possible. Accordingly, in some cases, portions of the dog track have been in overlying relationship with portions of the horse track. This has been accomplished by providing a fixed portion of a dog track within the oval or infield of the horse track and locating the home stretch portion of the dog track between the horse track and the grandstand. Since a portion of the dog track must necessarily cross the horse track, a pair of movable sections have been provided for the dog track and such movable sections may be moved into operative position when the dogs are racing and moved to inoperative position when the horses are racing.